On Saturday, the Brattle's monthly Elements Of Cinema presents Barbara Kopple's 1976 documentary HARLAN COUNTY, USA. The screening will be followed with a discussion facilitated by documentary filmmaker Tracy Heather Strain.

HARLAN COUNTY, USA(1976) dir Barbara KoppleBarbara Kopple's Academy Award-winning HARLAN COUNTY, USA unflinchingly documents a grueling coal miners' strike in a small Kentucky town. With unprecedented access, Kopple and her crew captured the miners' sometimes violent struggles with strikebreakers, local police, and company thugs. Featuring a haunting soundtrack, the film is a heartbreaking record of the thirteen-month struggle between a community fighting to survive and a corporation dedicated to the bottom line.

Tracy Heather Strain is documentary filmmaker and producer of educational videos and museum segments. A principle in The Film Posse, LLC, Strain is presently developing and producing a number of projects including A Baker's Dozen: 13 Essential Donut Stories and with Chiz Schultz Inc., a feature-length documentary, for which Strain is director, about the late playwright entitled Lorraine Hansberry Documentary Project.

On Sunday, the Brattle's Eye Opener series presents a special preview screening of PARANOID PARK, the latest work by Gus Van Sant (MY OWN PRIVATE IDAHO, TO DIE FOR, GOOD WILL HUNTING).

PARANOID PARK (2007) dir Gus Van Sant w/Taylor Momsen, Gabe Nevins, Dan Liu, Jake Miller, Lauren McKinneyAn unsolved murder at Portland's infamous Paranoid Park brings detectives to a local high school, propelling a young skater into a moral odyssey where he must not only deal with the pain and disconnect of adolescence but the consequences of his own actions. As director of MY OWN PRIVATE IDAHO, GOOD WILL HUNTING, TO DIE FOR and ELEPHANT, Gus Van Sant has created some of the most memorable films about youth ever committed to film. At the 2007 Cannes Film Festival, he was awarded the 60th Anniversary Prize for PARANOID PARK which is largely considered on of his finest films. Based on the novel by Blake Nelson and photographed by the incomparable Christopher Doyle (IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE; 2046), the film has captivated audiences worldwide, becoming a unanimous standout at the Cannes, New York and Toronto Film Festivals.

"One of the most moving films of Gus Van Sant's fascinating career...The film's visual beauty is so striking." – Manohla Dargis, The New York Times

Visit the Brattle Theatre website at www.brattlefilm.org for directions, accessibility, and other information. The Brattle Theatre is a 501(c)3 non-profit.

Part of the awesome 80s rock rep series will include some awesome free giveaways at the 7:15pm show of "Rock in Roll High School" on Friday night.

If you want to attend the free screenings, I'd encourage you to get there early. If you want the free stuff for tomorrow night, I'd encourage you to buy your tickets online.